Game On!

PROTOTYPE

2009-07-03T15:17:21Z

Developer: Radical Entertainment
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PS3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PC
MSRP: $59.99 for PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, $49.99 for PC
ESRB: M
http://www.prototypegame.com

PROTOTYPE is the story of Alex Mercer, the survivor of an evil military experiment that has left him genetically mutated, without memory, and hunted. And, with shape-shifting abilities that allow him to use some pretty sick weapons and disguises, also the hunter. This free-roaming romp through a diseased NYC can be both extremely fun and frustrating at times.

This is a big open world game and as a New Yorker I really enjoy playing open world games that take place in something resembling NYC. Yes, Radical did a great job capturing the gritty look and feel of NYC. There are buildings with scaffolds and gridlocked intersections. There are the popular landmarks such as Madison Square Garden, Washington Square Park, Central Park, and Times Square. Yet in all the accurate look and feel, the map and the actual buildings are merely representative and not accurate. My apartment, a floor in a West Village townhouse, is somehow a massive skyscraper. So they win some points here and it is cool to think about going on a rampage in NYC, but it ain’t NYC.

The story is very deep and told through a series of different mechanisms such as flashbacks and flashforwards. One aspect of Alex’s powers is the ability to consume a person – including their memory, clothes, and weapons. As you consume each person you get a video flashback sequence which backfills the story from their point of view. It’s a very interesting mechanism, yet it is extremely disruptive to be in the middle of a massive battle that gets interrupted by a flashback and then you are shoved right back into the action. Yes, you can skip the video, but it is still disruptive.

My major gripe with the game, which overall I have really enjoyed, is that for the first hour or so it is pretty damn boring. Honestly, I almost gave up but am glad I stuck with it. In fact, my first reaction was “OK, Activision blended Spiderman with Wolverine. Great. Been there. Done that. Next.” But for some reason the next day I went back to it. In starting you off slow, Radical runs the risk of losing your interest. After a few hours though, you can upgrade your characters weapons, powers, and movement and really start to kick some ass which is where it gets fun.

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Prototype is a game of massive destruction. Your weapons are actually mutations that are growing on you. You can have sharp claws, a long chain, a blade, or a massive fist. Each weapon has a normal attack, a special attack, and a grapple – plus a bunch of combos. I prefer the long chain. In addition, it is trivially easy to hijack tanks and helicopters. One of my favorite things is to hijack a tank, infiltrate a military base, and then spin around in circles firing the cannon and leveling everything in sight. In Prototype, you are indeed a one man wrecking crew. By combining weapons, powers, and armor, there really is nothing you can’t destroy except the actual buildings themselves.

A major aspect of the game is free roaming through NYC. Not only can you free roam during the game by simply not accepting your next mission right away, but you can play in pure free roam mode which I find quickly degenerates into an all out battle between me and everyone else in NYC (ah, just like real life). You accomplish this in a number of ways such as jumping, running up and along buildings, and gliding. After a few upgrades, you can literally get from Battery Park to Central Park in a minute (that is if you don’t stop to kill anything). And the running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop is very fun in and of itself. In addition, there are lots of side quests like races, battles, fetches, which earn you extra EP so you can buy more upgrades.

The game looks great and sounds great. It’s one of the first games in Dolby 7.1. My mark for realistic sound is if the cat gets spooked by some background noise and that has happened a few times in Prototype. The soundtrack is pretty good and it is fairly subtle, unlike other games where you have to turn down the soundtrack just to hear the action.

So, to wrap this up, Prototype is a very good game bordering on excellent, but it falls just short. It is a little tedious in the beginning, then there is this golden period where it is pure fun, but then in the end you’re so powerful that battles become monotonous. That said, I’m having a hell of a lot of fun trashing NYC!

Madden NFL 10 Video Documentary Series Details All-New Online Franchise

2009-07-02T13:05:15Z

June 30, 2009 – The culmination of all things Madden NFL has arrived with Online Franchise in Madden NFL 10. The latest Madden NFL 10 Video Documentary series is now available, which includes details and perspectives on the all-new, award winning Online Franchise mode – direct from the development team.

Enjoy 32 team leagues, featuring anywhere from 1 to 32 human controlled teams, in Online Franchise mode that provides full team management, including trades, live drafts, depth chart changes, and more…and it’s all just one click away!

Online Franchise is the biggest feature to ever grace Madden NFL and it’s all manageable from your console, remotely through a web browser, or via a custom iPod Touch Application. Have full control of your team from anywhere you can log on. With new mobile updates and web connections, Online Franchise is available to you 24/7, and with immediate updates to your console, you’ll never miss a down.

Online Franchise revolutionizes gameplay in that it acts as a true NFL season with 32 teams and a full season, including playoffs and the Super Bowl.

Online Franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 versions of Madden NFL 10, which will be available in stores on August 14th.

For more information about Madden NFL 10, visit http://maddennfl.easports.com/

2K Sports Invites Fans to Play The BIGS 2 with the New York Mets at the Nintendo World Store on July 6

2009-07-02T13:03:02Z

July 1, 2009 – 2K Sports invites gamers and fans of The BIGS™ video game series to the Nintendo World Store in New York City on Monday, July 6 for The BIGS 2 Home Run Pinball tournament. Attendees will have the exciting opportunity to meet and get autographs from the New York Mets’ Mike Pelfrey and Alex Cora, who will help kick-off the tournament.

Eligible participants in the The BIGS 2 Home Run Pinball tournament will have the chance to win prizes such as a Wii™ system from Nintendo, an authentic Major League Baseball® jersey autographed by Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers, the cover athlete and spokesman for The BIGS 2, and a variety of other prizes. Attendees will also have the exclusive opportunity to purchase The BIGS 2 for Wii a full day before the game is released in retail stores. Registration for the tournament begins at 12:00 PM Eastern Time and registration slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Tournament play begins at 4:15 PM Eastern Time. All prospective tournament participants must be 10 or older, and participants 17 or younger must be accompanied by and have permission from a parent or guardian.

Date: Monday, July 6

Location: Nintendo World Store

10 Rockefeller Plaza
New York , NY 10020

(646) 459-0800

Schedule: 12:00–3:30 PM – Home Run Pinball Tournament registration

4:00 PM – Event introduction

4:10 PM – Mike Pelfrey and Alex Cora of the New York Mets to faceoff in The BIGS 2

4:15 PM – Tournament begins

6:00 PM – Tournament concludes

Coming to retail stores on July 7, 2009, the Big Leagues will get BIGGER with The BIGS 2. Rated E 10+ by the ESRB, The BIGS 2 will be available on all major video game platforms. The BIGS 2 has been elevated to new heights this season with amazing visual effects and a variety of new gameplay modes, including the fan-requested Season Mode and Become a Legend. With improved player animations and pick-up-and-play controls, The BIGS 2 will deliver an action-packed MLB® video game experience.

For more information on The BIGS 2, please visit www.2ksports.com/games/thebigs2.

FUEL™ GAMES FOR WINDOWS® EDITION NOW SHIPPING IN NORTH AMERICA

2009-07-01T13:49:37Z

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – Tuesday, June 30, 2009 – The Games For Windows® edition of Asobo Studio’s epic racer FUEL™ is now shipping to stores in North America, Codemasters® announced today. To celebrate the launch, Codemasters has released a new video that showcases the diverse locations, beautiful scenery and freedom for up to 16 players to explore FUEL’s stunning game world. The video is available from www.fuel-game.com (in the Downloads section).

FUEL offers an astounding 5,560 square miles playground which is fully open to race and explore. Based on satellite data from the United States, wildly diverse terrain from the snow-capped Mount Rainier to the arid Grand Canyon and everything in between create an atmospheric, epic racing sandbox. With a 70+ strong vehicle line up, including bikes, buggies, quads, cars, roadsters, trucks and even a hovercraft, gamers experience unprecedented choice in choosing tactical routes on-the-fly, on or off-road. The wide vehicle roster is perfect for taking on hundreds of exhilarating arcade events, from large-scale raid challenges to tight circuit races, available in FUEL’s career mode.

Extensive multiplayer options allow up to 16 players to discover FUEL’s world in free ride or compete in thrilling head-to-head races. Gamers can also unleash their creativity by using the powerful yet intuitive race editor to create events set anywhere in FUEL’s environment and share them online.

FUEL is set to raise the bar for open-world racing when the Games For Windows® edition launches Tuesday, June 30. FUEL is also available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®. Fuel up by downloading the video at www.fuel-game.com.

NCsoft and City of Heroes Continue Fifth Anniversary Celebration with Launch of “Issue 15: Anniversary”

2009-07-01T13:41:42Z

SEATTLE, Washington–June 30, 2009–NCsoft®, the world’s premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), today launched Issue 15: Anniversary, the next exciting chapter of City of Heroes®, the premier comic-book inspired MMO. Commemorating the game’s recent five-year anniversary celebration, Issue 15: Anniversary brings City of Heroes its 15th major free content update introducing players to all-new content, missions, features and customization tools that continue to place City of Heroes at the forefront of the evolving MMO genre.

“City of Heroes continues to reinvent itself with each Issue launch providing players with new content, developmental tools and exciting game play experiences they can’t get anywhere else,” said Brian Clayton, general manager and executive producer of City of Heroes. “Issue 15 is no different – it brings players the revival of one of the most popular villain groups in the game, streamlined Mission Architect search and navigation, as well as enhanced character customization featuring even more costumes, faces and costume change animations which will all surprise and delight the community.”

Issue 15: Anniversary allows City of Heroes to come to life with more in-depth gameplay experiences and storytelling options as it marks the revival of The 5th Column, the most popular villain group, through 10 new action-packed missions. Players will participate in a Hero Task Force or a Villain Strike Force, in order to uncover the mystery behind this long dormant foe. Along with the new missions, players can now customize their characters with more than 20 extra character faces, Vines and Ulterior themed costume sets and several new costume change emotes - visual animations that come to life when characters transition between costumes within the game.

Additionally, Issue 15: Anniversary introduces players to new mission creation enhancements, testing tools and navigation services as part of the recently launched Mission Architect system. These features allow players to more easily create and polish their own unique custom content before sharing it with the public, and help streamline the process of searching through user-generated missions. Since the release of City of Heroes ’ Mission Architect system, two months ago, users have developed and published more than 200,000 stories for the community to enjoy.

Join millions of super powered heroes and villains and become your own unique super powered hero to save the world, or an infamous villain seeking to destroy it. City of Heroes is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. For more information about City of Heroes and specifics on Issue 15: Anniversary go to http://www.cityofheroes.com.

]]> About NCsoft

NCsoft, headquartered in Seoul , Korea , is the world's premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games, including the critically acclaimed City of Heroes®, Guild Wars® and Lineage® franchises. NCsoft West is a division of NCsoft which holds operating responsibilities for North America, Europe, South America and Australia/New Zealand. More information can be found at http://us.ncsoft.com.

About Paragon Studios

Paragon Studios is a wholly owned development studio of NCsoft West and is dedicated to the growth of the City of Heroes franchise. Located in Mountain View , California , the team at Paragon Studios brings the world of comic books alive in a massively multiplayer 3D online universe. For more about Paragon Studios, visit http://paragonstudios.com. For more information about City of Heroes , go to http://www.cityofheroes.com.

Namco Bandai Fall Preview

2009-06-25T15:55:29Z

Tekken 6 for PS3 was the centerpiece of the day for me. The game ships with 40 playable characters, many old and some new. That’s right, there are no characters to unlock – you get it all from the get go. The game runs at a full 1080p and looked pretty damn sweet. The environment is destructible and you can use it to your benefit. A new thing is Rage Mode where when you are about to die you become much stronger. This ensures that all battles are exciting up to the end. There’s online and LAN play. All new is the campaign mode which is essentially a 3D fighter. The cool part about this is that you can play with the AI companion or a friend, and friends can jump in and out at any time. Campaign mode is where most of the unlocking takes place and where you’ll learn the storylines behind each character. There are about 40 stages and some stages can only be played by some characters.

Tekken 6 for PSP is due late Fall or early Winter 2009. I only played quickly and it was fun. An interesting twist is the armor indicator so you know where your opponent has been weakened (high, middle, or low).
Active Life: Extreme Challenge for Wii uses a dance pad to emulate playing extreme sports like bungee jumping, BMX, skateboarding, and street luge. There are some fun and interesting mechanics, like crawling on the mat for rock climbing or sitting on the mat and using your hands to propel yourself down the street on the luge. It looked fun but a little kiddy. I bet this would be a lot of fun at a party.
Soul Calibre Broken Destiny for PSP looked pretty cool too. New characters include Kratos from God of War and a guy named Dampierre who reminded me a little of Voldo. There are 15+ characters in all. It’s all single player and starts with a training mode. There’s a decent create-a-character mode. There is 2 player mode using wireless ad hoc. It’ll ship sometime Fall 2009.

]]> Dead to Rights: Retribution for Xbox 360 brings the gritty crime noir story back. This time it’s a new story although it’s the same characters. Due to ship in 2010, I was only playing a short demo, which I enjoyed. You play as Jack Slate and his dog Shadow. Shadow is half-wolf and half-malamute I think. At various points in the game you either use the d-pad to order Shadow around or play as Shadow yourself. I had a lot of fun turning enemies into a bloody mess using Shadow. When playing as Jack, you get the 360 degree fighting system which allows you to seamlessly switch between punches, kicks, and weapons. The game was very brutal, definitely going to be rated M.

DragonBall Raging Blast is basically the fifth in the series. The biggest change is that the fighting area is much bigger now, a good thing in a game where you can fly. The environment is destructible and you can use it to your advantage. Combat is faster and there’s a good degree of magic type attacks. The arenas are more varied. This could be the best DragonBall yet.

Hands On With Wolfenstein!

2009-06-25T15:40:17Z

I got to play the game for Xbox 360 this morning and I loved it. My history with the Wolfenstein franchise goes all the way back to when I was 14 and hoping that my parents wouldn’t be awakened by the cries of “Halt, Commenzie” emanating from my Apple IIe. The game has changed a lot over the years, but it’s still every bit as fun. This version draws heavily on the 1992 Wolfenstein 3D for look and feel.

Basically, it’s the old stop the evil Nazis story. You know, everyone loves killing Nazis. You play the same character as usual, BJ TK. These evil Nazis have harnessed some negative energy known as the Veil from another dimension and are using it to further their nefarious plans. In addition to the “normal” Nazis, there are supernatural ones like the assassin (hard to kill, comes right at you), the scribe (reincarnates the fallen Nazis), the shifter, and the altered (a big ugly dope).

The big twist involves Veil powers. These are sort of like supernatural powers. You access them using the D-pad. Down turns on Sight which allows you to see enemies in the dark and see hidden pathways, like where to smash through a wall. Pushing the d-pad to the left enters “Mire” which slows down time for everyone around you. Pushing up turns on your “shield”, a barrier around you that protects you from damage. You can Veil energy through a variety of means, mostly when you suction it from objects in the environment.

There’s an upgrade system that revolves around finding treasure like hidden bags of gold. They you can use the gold to upgrade your powers and/or weapons. There are the usual MP-40, MP-43 type WWII era weapons and then there are some kick-ass futuristic weapons like the TK which I used to blow enemies to bits. BTW, in case I haven’t made this clear, this is a violent, gory game that lives up to what you’d expect from our friends at iD.

The combination of the super weapons and Veil powers make it pretty interesting. I was able to do things like kick open a door, chuck a grenade at the first wave of attackers, turn on my shield, watch them get shredded, then drop my shield, turn on mire, and shoot the survivors dead. All of that took place in about 15 frenetic seconds.

There was talk of an online deathmatch mode, but nothing definite was said. There will be no co-op story mode.

]]> The environment, overall, is very large. You’re in Isenstadt City, a fictitious city in Germany. There are different groups such as the Kreisau or Resistance. Each group gives you different missions and the game itself is loosely structured to get you from mission to mission with some breaks for exploration in between. Between missions you get a fairly open environment where you can play on the roofs and in the sewers.

One very cool aspect of game play is the ability to change difficulty level on the fly.

Wolfenstein 3D is currently available on Xbox Live and PSN. If you win that then you get 1000 gold to use when you play the new Wolfenstein.

The game is scheduled to ship on August 4, 2009 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. If you enjoy some fine FPS action, then I encourage you to get it.

NFC SOUTH TEAM AND PLAYER RATINGS REVEALED IN MADDEN NFL 10 SEASON PREVIEW

2009-06-21T18:16:25Z

June 19, 2009 – Madden NFL fans, start your season early with an in depth look at the teams of the NFL. Who will be the powerhouse teams this year? What players have improved? What players have seen better days? See how your favorite team and players will fair – according to the Madden NFL 10 Season Preview.

We continue our look at each team’s overall rating and individual player ratings with a focus on the NFC South division. In addition to the player ratings, a wealth of team-specific assets will be made available, for both the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, and Wii versions of Madden NFL 10.

Everything culminates on August 3rd, where Madden NFL 10 will predict the 2009 NFL division winners, season MVP, and more.

To view the overall team ratings for the Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers and Saints, as well as download the complete team roster ratings, visit the official Madden NFL 10 website below:

]]> Madden NFL 10 Season Preview

OVERLORD® II PLAYABLE DEMO UNLEASHES THE MINION HORDE

2009-06-15T12:36:32Z

June 11, 2009 - Gamers can now step into the delightfully despotic shoes of the new Overlord and take full control of a horde of vicious, mischievous, but ultimately lovable Minions, as Codemasters today announced that the Overlord® II playable demo is now available on the PlayStation® Store and PC. To download the PC demo, and for more Minion chaos, head to www.overlordgame.com/us/try.

The accompanying Overlord II gameplay video explains how the new Overlord grows up in his dark Netherworld domain with the help of Minion Keeper Gnarl and his slavish and loyal Minion subjects. Raised by Gnarl and the Minions, the “Overlad” grows into the mighty Overlord as the Glorious Empire cements its hold on the world above. Players will get to witness the might of the Glorious Empire and get a glimpse of all-new enemies like the magic-detecting Sentinels and the huge, magic-eating Eradicators.

In the Overlord II demo, players step into the big spiky boots of a new Overlord whose sights are firmly set on becoming the king of chaos, the bringer of evil and the master of Minions. As the demo opens the Overlord, aided and abetted by a team of brown fighter Minions, emerges from his underground lair into the ice caves only to discover a Yeti frozen in a block of ice. The Minions can, in their inimitably violent way, ‘defrost’ him and then give chase as he knuckles out into the snowy wastes of the Hunting Grounds, near the town of Nordberg.

Then it’s time to put the Minions to work, harvesting valuable life-force from the indigenous fauna. Minions will happily lock onto anything in the vicinity – including fluffy seal pups (‘Well,’ argue the Minions, ‘the smelly fur balls are eating all the lovely fishies’). There are also Nordburgian Hunters and hippy, peace-loving elves to contend with but, as ever, the Minions aren’t fussy who they attack for their master.

To speed their progress, Minions can befriend a pack of wolves and ride them through the snowy landscape like a Minion Cavalry. The wolf-mounted Minion is an altogether tougher force, more deadly and more agile – wolves have their own attack moves and will knock enemies off their feet through sheer force, biting and goring opponents into submission.

Discover why being evil has never been so much fun with the Overlord II playable demo, now available from the PlayStation Store and PC. To download the PC demo and see the new Overlord II gameplay video, command your Minions to go to http://www.overlordgame.com/us/try.

]]> ABOUT CODEMASTERS
Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of best-selling interactive entertainment products for a global audience across multiple gaming platforms and channels. Established in 1986, the company’s dominant brands include DiRT, Race Driver GRID, Overlord and Operation Flashpoint; the company retains the exclusive worldwide video game rights to FORMULA 1. Codemasters is headquartered in Warwickshire UK, with North American operations based in Universal City, Calif. The company also maintains operations in Germany, France, Spain, Benelux and Malaysia. Codemasters receives over two million visitors to its web site every month, discover why at www.codemasters.com <http://www.codemasters.com/>

Nintendo Download

2009-06-15T12:19:37Z

Nintendo’s downloadable content this week features the first-ever kitchen appliance with martial arts training. Throw in some rainbows and a game of catch, and you have a pretty interesting WiiWare™ lineup. But that’s not all: There are Mario-themed Nintendo DSiWare™ applications and a classic arcade game for the Virtual Console™. Let’s get to the details:

WiiWare

Eduardo the Samurai Toaster
Publisher: Semnat Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: Fight your way through 13 diverse locations on your own or with up to three friends in this frenetic and stylish side-scrolling action game. Play as Eduardo and his fellow toaster buddies as you fire an assortment of pastries at all kinds of dastardly food products. Hop onto laser-mounted scooters and fly across the screen in rocket packs, and learn to cooperate with your teammates or simply annoy each other in an awesomely fun way by throwing each other around the screen. The choice is up to you.

RAINBOW ISLANDS™: TOWERING ADVENTURE!
Publisher: TAITO
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: In Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!, players control the rainbow-magic-wielding Bubby or Bobby as they climb the seven seamless areas of a tower reaching the heavens while defeating enemies with their rainbow powers. Bosses controlled by the scientific genius Dr. Crescent await players at the end of every area. Race through every area within the allotted time to meet the rainbow-colored Holly’s Comet. There are three game modes: Story mode, which tells the tale of Holly’s Comet; Challenge mode, where players attempt to climb as high as they can; and Time Attack, where players select an area and see how fast they can climb it. Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is an exhilarating action game where you use rainbows to climb into the heavens.

Let’s CATCH™
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Play catch with friends in multiplayer party games and compete for high scores using your Mii™ character and others. Choose from six different single and multiplayer modes such as Speed Catch, which tests your ability to catch a fastball, and Bomb Catch, an elimination party game for up to four players. Select from a variety of characters or use your Mii character to play other favorite catch games. Unlock special features when you own both Let’s TAP and Let’s CATCH.

Nintendo DSiWare

Mario™ Calculator
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: N/A
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Mario and Luigi™ take a break from their normal adventures to dedicate their heroic talents to working with numbers. Mario Calculator features the full functionality of a traditional calculator, including a Memory key and the ability to display up to 13 digits, and adds a layer of atmosphere reminiscent of the original Super Mario Bros.™ Use the Unit Converter to turn one unit of measure into another (such as length, weight, volume, age and others), or track the history of calculations you’ve performed with ease. Listen to the Mario-related sounds and watch the coins fly as calculations are performed. Now, back to adding up those high scores...

Mario™ Clock
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Turn back time and enjoy a bit of classic game play based on the original Super Mario Bros. with Mario Clock. Help Mario and Luigi collect more coins than ever (POW block anyone?) while they run through a variety of stages. Gather enough coins and you’ll be treated to another scene bound to bring back fond memories for many. Mario Clock includes both analog and digital clocks that use the system’s internal clock or allow you to offset the time however you like. Program up to three alarms (with snooze functionality for those that need it) and assign them a Mario-related sound or use one created in the Nintendo DSi™ Sound application. You’ll find yourself thinking “Just a few more coins...” in no time!

Virtual Console

Space Harrier™
Original platform: Virtual Console Arcade
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Animated Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: “Welcome to the Fantasy Zone. Get ready!” This is the greeting given to you as you start Space Harrier, but you don’t have much time to take this advice. Even as the words are being spoken, your Harrier warrior is already charging into battle. Toting a huge laser gun under his arm, the Space Harrier can either run along the checkerboard ground or freely fly through the sky. Either way, he’s always heading forward into the hostile 3-D world. As you progress, hordes of strange creatures and robots fly toward you. Fast reflexes are required to dodge their incoming fire. Environmental hazards can be a problem, too. Take care not to run into any trees or stone structures. If you need a bit of a morale boost, just defeat a boss, and the narrator will remind you that “you’re doing great!”

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

]]> Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

PRSA T3PR: How to Relate to Bloggers Round Table

2009-06-15T02:36:03Z

Last week I was on a panel discussion at T3PR a one day event held by PRSA about how to use high tech for PR campaigns. It was an interesting panel discussion with Carolyn Mcarthy of CNET and Peter Kafka of AllThingsDigital.

I tried to answer questions informatively. Most of what we talked about was how we like to be contacted and how best to work with us. This is important stuff. The rules of the game have changed over the past 3-4 years. Blogging is time sensitive and communications with bloggers must be as well.

]]> Here are a few clips of me speaking during the panel. I tried to distill the hour down into but a few seconds.

Audio clip of Matt Sarrel talking about what makes a good PR website.

Audio clip of Matt Sarrel explaining why embargoes are important.

Audio clip of Matt Sarrel talking about the frequency of email PR pitches.

Audio clip of Matt Sarrel musing on the changes in the job of a journalist now that blogging has risen in popularity.

Audio clip of Matt Sarrel talking about what works and what doesn't for an email pitch.

AXF 24: Audi Forza Challenge

2009-06-14T15:54:10Z

Last night I made the long arduous journey into midtown, all the way to Park and 47th to the Audi Show Room, to see the AXF 24 Challenge. During this event, three teams of three drivers each are squaring off in a 24 hour race on the brand new Le Mans track in the not yet released Forza Motorsport 3 (due in October 2009) driving the brand new R8 V10.

Here's a video montage:

]]> More photos from the AXF 24 2009

And, for all you car lovers, here's a little video showing the car's details:

X-Men Origins Wolverine Review

2009-06-13T20:00:07Z

Developer: Raven Software
Publisher: Activision Publishing, Inc.
Release Date: May 2009
Platforms:and MSRP:
$59.99 (PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360)
$49.99 (Wii)
$39.99 (Games for Windows PC, PSP, PLAYSTATION 2)
$29.99 (NDS)

ESRB Ratings: “M” for Mature for intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

I have to admit that most of the time I feel that as a rule movie games are uninspired. Face it, the emphasis is more on generating a supporting upsell for a successful movie. But every once in a while, someone actually tries to make a good movie game. X-Men Origins Wolverine is one of those games.

It is downright fun to play. The battles are lightning fast and more than frenetic. I found myself lunging, diving, blocking, countering with ease once I got the hang of the controls. You fall into a rhythm of targeting, evading, and attacking in a natural pattern. So it feels good to slice foes heads off, throw them off bridges or cliffs where they plummet to their deaths, or my personal favorite which was to dive towards an enemy, grab him, and throw him onto some sharp part of the environment. It is very cool that your kill stats are saved in your profile. I always love seeing a chronicle of my killing.

The game is inspired by the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine that came out in May 2009. The story is written by the same Marvel Wolverine comic book writer, Mark Guggenheim, who has told the tale of Wolverine for years. The games is the story of Logan's transformation from human to Wolverine. There are almost two intertwining stories, like a flash forward and a flash backward, that you play through.

]]> The game delivers the larger than life Wolverine experience. There are over 100 moves that you can pull off and you can make many of them more powerful when you use experience points to upgrade your character. Everyone will probably develop an affinity for a handful of moves. At times I favored the all powerful counter attack, but I mainly enjoyed the long range lunge attack follow by clawing the guy to pieces as he struggled to get away from me. There are some truly cinematic scenes - most of which involve helicopters. You only have one way to take a copter out if your weapons are claws. Jump on it, punch through the windshield to kill the pilot and snap the blades off with your claws.

I think the best way to describe the fun is like this. It's based on the Unreal 3 Engine and you've got claws. So it's a bit like taking away your guns in Unreal 3 and giving you some very powerful handheld weapons. Plus the ability to lunge at targets from 100 feet away. And rapid regeneration. That's another cool thing. Wolverine regenerates after he takes real time damage to his skin and muscle. So you see yourself get scraped up and then heal.

The only thing I didn't like, which I really tried not to let it ruin the game for me, was the parts of the game that involved some sort of tedious platformer like puzzle sequence. You know what I mean, jump on this, climb on that, drag the stone over to this lever, run through here. I guess that they felt it would be boring to be killing all the time. I personally didn't enjoy breaking up the killing.

Paramount Digital Entertainment Previews and Reviews

2009-06-04T17:54:12Z

I met with Paramount Digital Entertainment a short while ago in the Viacom building in midtown Manhattan. I only mention the place because there was a huge line to check in with security when you enter the building. I waited on the line for about 10 minutes along with everyone else. Then some dick walks up to the front of the line and steps in front of me. I said, "Excuse me, Sir. Are you aware that there is a line here?" and he said "Yes" and then proceeded to speak to the guard anyway. I decided the fastest way to handle it was to just let it go and the guard did thank me for it afterwards, but if you are that guy then you should know that EVERYONE on that line thought you were a dick.

StarTrek DAC is for the Xbox 360 as downloadable content for 800 pts. It will come out on PSN and PC later. It's sort of a retro style top down shooter, an arcade space game. It's just plain fun and doesn't have anything to do with the movie really. There's a team mode where two teams of six players each compete. You can play co-op or solo where you have an AI team and AI enemy. There are a bunch of game modes like team deathmatch, conquest, etc and four different maps. You duke it out as Federation or Romulan. There's some strategy involved and some button mashing. It's fun and easy to play.

The Warriors Street Brawl - This game is straight on button mashing fun. It reminds me of Street Fighter, a side scrolling brawler. Up to 4 players online or using a single Xbox 360 can play at once and it is fu-un. I'm actually under NDA about gameplay until July so I can't give away anything specific. The story is told through a comic book look and feel and then you pretty much fight your way through town. I would imagine this would be great fun with a bunch of friends hanging out and drinking beer. BTW, it's the 30th anniversary of the film in July 2009.

]]> Top Gun was there for iPhone and iTouch. It was pretty cool. There's a whole story line for fans of the movie. As if the world is full of fans of the movie who are dying to play a flight game on their iPhone and iTouch...But using the device as a flight stick is pretty cool. There are 10 missions. The soundtrack was good - including Danger Zone - the whole thing is by Paper and Sand. You get a lot of guns and ammo so it's fun to fly around and blow stuff up. It's $1.99 on the app store.

MAINGEAR Unleashes the ePhex Elite Premium Gaming PC

2009-06-04T13:39:33Z

Union, New Jersey – June 3, 2009 – MAINGEAR Computers, award-winning builders of custom computers for PC gamers and enthusiasts, unveils the ePhex Elite, a premium gaming PC that delivers the fastest, most immersive game play imaginable. The Elite build’s off of the original ePhex’s highly renowned, award-winning design and incorporates the industry’s latest, most powerful cutting-edge technology to create the ultimate high performance gaming PC. The ePhex Elite features Intel’s new Core i7 975 Extreme, up to 3 GTX 285’s in Tri-SLI or 3 Radeon HD 4890’s in CrossFireX for unparalleled graphics performance, a custom liquid cooling solution that aggressively removes heat from all CPUs and GPUs, an Asus X58 motherboard that is an overclocker’s dream, immaculate wiring, and up to 24 GB of RAM.

“The ePhex Elite is the embodiment of our mission to deliver an unsurpassed high performance gaming” said Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder of MAINGEAR. “Some gamers want the best system that money buy to give them every edge against the competition possible. This is that system.”

“We are asserting our position as the most powerful PC builder in North America,” says Chris Morley, CTO of MAINGEAR, “We are staying true to our enthusiast roots by building an all-custom water cooling solution that cools not only the CPU, but any combination of GPUs. We achieve this by utilizing dual radiators with a combined surface area of 360 square millimeters. With quick-release interconnects, upgradeability and serviceability has been kept in mind. As our ePhex has earned numerous Editor’s Choice awards, many proclaiming it to be the fastest PC ever tested, we are ratcheting up the performance to demonstrate our dedication to maintaining our leadership in this category.”

Each ePhex Elite will feature complimentary Redlining for overclocking enthusiasts as well as MAINGEAR’s M.A.R.C. custom laser etching technology. Customers can upload the image or logo of their choice and MAINGEAR will customize your system to specifically fit your personal style. ePhex Elite customers may schedule a one-on-one consultation with our Creative Director, Wendel Santos for a completely unique M.A.R.C. design that will never again be used by MAINGEAR for another customer’s PC. For a limited time, ePhex Elite customers may also purchase a MAINGEAR mX-L 13.3 inch ultra-portable laptop at a 25% discount.

Gamers can purchase the ePhex Elite at MAINGEAR's Web site www.maingear.com or order by phone at (888-MAINGEAR). The base price for the ePhex Elite is $5,660 and comes with MAINGEAR’s premium Lifetime Labor and Phone Support with 3 year hardware warranty and is backed by the best in-house support team in the country.

]]> MAINGEAR is the premier high performance systems integrator in North America. MAINGEAR custom builds gaming, home office, mobile, multimedia, small business and 3D workstation solutions of the highest quality, which have won them many editors’ choice awards in every major computer publication such as C-Net, [H]ard|OCP, Maximum PC, CPU Magazine, etc. For more information on MAINGEAR, please visit www.maingear.com or call, toll-free,
(888)624-6432.